Thought for the Day

Verse 21 - A virtuous woman is not afraid for her household when cold weather comes. She has already made warm clothing of good quality for herself and all her household.

Clothing is a type of spiritual covering. The term "clothed in scarlet" also has a spiritual application. The blood of the Old Testament sacrifices represented the blood of Jesus, shed for the forgiveness of sins. Scarlet wool was used by the priests in connection with these sacrifices (Hebrews 9:19-22). Being "clothed with scarlet" is a picture of being covered by the blood of Christ. Under His covering, we are protected.

We find types of the saving power of Christ's blood throughout the Bible. Joshua 2 and Joshua 6 recounts that Rahab, a harlot in Jericho, who acknowledged the God of Israel and hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy on Jericho. When the army of Israel invaded, both her life and the life of her family were spared because she obeyed their instructions to tie a scarlet cord in the window of her house. The Israelites looked for the scarlet cord when they attacked Jericho, and brought Rahab and her family out to safety before destroying everyone in the city. The scarlet cord was a type of the blood of Jesus. Another type is seen in the Passover account of Exodus 12, as the Israelites' applied the blood of lambs to the doorposts of their houses in Egypt. When the Lord saw the blood on a house, He passed over it, not allowing the destroyer to slay their firstborn. Jesus, the Lamb of God, was slain on our behalf. When His blood is applied to our souls, God will not suffer us to be destroyed or go to hell.

Verse 22 - A virtuous woman also makes clothing from expensive, fine linen. This, too, has a spiritual application, for the bride of Christ is clothed in linen garments that represent her righteousness. "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (Revelation 19:7-8). "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10).

We can all be dressed in this fine, white linen by accepting Christ. Only the scarlet blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse our souls from the stain of sin, and fit us for the clean white garments of righteousness (Isaiah 1:18).